Welcome Onboard

FEBRUARY 2023

Welcome to this issue of AIR – our onboard lifestyle magazine. Private aviation meets the demand for business and leisure travel with a high degree of privacy, security and personalised service.

I believe we are increasingly seeing the signs of business aviation coming of age as we continue to see growing regional demand for business jet ownership and charter. The sector proved resilient during the crisis of the last three years and has proved its value to countless numbers of companies and organisations, especially during periods when commercial aviation operations had some restrictions. The sector is now rising above pre-pandemic levels in the region and we anticipate this will continue in 2023, even beyond the impact of the Expo2020 Dubai and FIFA World Cup finals.

So, as interest in business aviation expands, we have taken the opportunity to look into the ‘crystal ball’ and share some of the industry’s insights and predictions for the regional sector for acquisitions and business jet charters. The step up into aircraft ownership has become more attractive now with the increase in charter usage. We have seen that travellers who flew First and Business Class with scheduled airlines before the pandemic and opted to experience private aviation during the crisis (due to limited commercial airline options) now continue to fly privately rather than move back to commercial. It’s not unusual for someone to enjoy the unique experience of a private flight and be so captivated by it that they prefer to fly privately.

There are various options for purchasing aircraft, from full ownership to shared or fractional ownership. Shantanu Mehrotra, our Director of Finance, made a very impactful presentation on the subject at last December’s MEBAA (Middle East Business Aviation) event in Dubai. He shared an overview of the Middle East business jet market, emphasising how the market has matured with owners acquiring large-capacity and long-range jets to use as a business tool for their company operations. Buyers are keen on aircraft that can operate for at least 6-8 flying hours, which will get them from the Middle East to cities in Europe or Singapore, for example. For those interested in leisure charter, we also include a feature on one of our newest Luxury Partners – Como Hotels. Through our Luxury Partner programme, we provide charter customers the option to combine a private jet charter with a conveniently packaged, unforgettable stay at the beautiful Como Hotels Cocoa Island Resort in the Maldives.

Enjoy the read.

Paras P. Dhamecha Founder & Managing Director

Contact Details: info@empire.aero empireaviation.com Cover : Diane Kruger/Reuters